Cleanliness begins at home—on campus
by Nick Nance, Managing Editor

    When colleges recruit freshmen, they describe their campus as a nice place to relax and enjoy. TCC is no different.

   However, when these schools advertise this ideal setting, they do not realize what will happen when these large groups accumulate.

   On NE Campus, you can see several examples in the parking lots and around the Student Center.

   Outside student services is a small group of tables and chairs. Around 3 p.m. any day you can walk by these tables and see trash all over the tables and the ground.

   Endless piles of trash result when rules are not enforced and young people are continually allowed to be irresponsible.

   Colleges are the best place to teach responsibility. But when these students are allowed to act irresponsibly, those actions can adversely affect other students.

   According to the TCC student handbook, academic institutions exist for the transmission of knowledge—not to pick up after lazy students.

   This problem is not with the majority. Once again, it is a case of the few who ruin the surroundings for the many.

   I am a responsible person not only because I pick up after myself but, most importantly, because I do not expect others to pick up after me.

   The student handbook also provides a vague description of disruptive behavior. These rules can be interpreted by the reader. For example, the book states, “damaging, defacing, or destroying College property is a violation.”

   Last time I checked, littering was still considered defacing. I can go a bit deeper with this.

   Another rule states a student can face punishment if he or she commits any act that is classified as an indictable offense under state law while on campus.

   Guess what, littering is an indictable offense under city and state law.

   The phrase “Don’t mess with Texas” will sound familiar to everyone. The problem comes down to a select group of people on campus considering themselves above the rules.

   This has been the case too long. I do not like the piles of trash left by the irresponsible, and I know many people that agree.

   If you really care about your school or your community, you should tell these people to be responsible or have the campus police address the issue.

   I know we can stop the trash from accumulating. Maybe the litterers can be part of the first TCC chain gang.